Slashdot Mirror
Microsoft's 911 Patent
The register is reporting "'Microsoft was today granted a patent for accessing data used by the emergency services.' They quote from the application 'In sum, what is needed is a way to provide users with access to needed emergency information. This should be simple from the user's perspective, so that even very emotional users can find what is needed in a straightforward, yet comprehensive process.' Apparently the patent was filed one month after 9/11."
Microsoft, for all your counter-terrorism needs.
Just another harmless drunk
what's wrong with this?
:)
please troll me
In addition to PDAs, Microsoft suggests that the system could be built into rental cars.
Would this be like OnStar? Not the navigational OnStar, the part where even if you don't have a subscription and hit the button they will supposedly guide you out of trouble or call for EMS?
In post 9/11 world Linux is just no good.
Actually it looks too complex from the screenshot. It should be something simple like a big button for 911. Press it and your GPS sends an emergency to 911. Most emergencies are not going to allow you to type with a stylus. Further an one button approach makes it easy for children to do (if you are going to use this in a car).
Quality Hosting e3 Servers
It's good that they're developing something like this, but it's sick that they're trying to patent it. Next they will try to make money from it. An extension to something as important as 911 should not be corporate.
Le français vous intéresse?
And I thought it was just a joke when people said that Microsoft was working to kill Apple and Linux users. Seriously though, I wonder how many people will die because other people with similar lifesaving products for OS X and Linux won't be able to release them because of this patent.
I'm sorry, but isn't the actual 911 (not 9/11) emergency services network considered prior art? And what about this makes it patentable, other than the complete insanity of the US Patent Office. This seems almost as rediculous as "One Click Shopping". Or hey, forget about originality, what about non-obviousness?
Jeesh.
i - This sig provided by
Although I'm not sure that Microsoft is the right person for the job, I agree that this was a huge need right after the attacks. Cell phone and land line exchanges were absolutely flooded with calls, and couldn't handle all the traffic.
My question: How, exactly, is a PocketPC application going to help with this? I mean, really - do they expect us to all rush out and buy one so that we can have access to emergency information? How would putting it in a rental car be of any use to the people who own the car they're driving when an emergency occurs?
I think the timing is pretty distasteful as well - almost as if they're saying "We could have done it better, and here's how!"
I am scientifically inaccurate.
"911 Operator. What is the nature of the emergency?"
"HELP! There's a criminal trying to break into my house!"
"We will have someone there right away, Ma'am. Just tell me your name, your address, and your patent use approval identification number."
"This is Mary Smith of 123 Maple Drive, and what?-- patent thingamabob?"
"Your patent use approval identification number, the proof that you can properly use this protected 911 service."
"He's got a gun! Hurry!"
"Ma'am, I'm sorry, but this seems to be a patent violation. Our enforcement officers will be out there immediately to collect payment plus penalty."
Caller: "Help, my house is on fire!"
911: "You appear to be making an emergency call. Would you like me to set up a template?"
Caller: "A what? Help me!"
911: "Accessing help..."
911: "..."
911: "Socket timed out, retrying..."
Caller: "Augh!"
911: "Welcome to the 911 help system. Please say your search terms now."
Caller: "....... FIRE!"
911: "Searching..."
911: "FIRE up your browsing experience with the new MSN Search, your comprehensive portal to the web!"
Caller: "Augh!"
"... I can get the fire service to you by, erm, next Thursday afternoon?"
Gentoo Linux - another day, another USE flag.
Where do you want to go today ?
[ ] Hospital
[ ] Police Station
[ ] E.R.
[ ] Fire Station
Blue Screen of Death... _literally_.
The article starts by making it seem like if you call 911, then Microsoft can access the data. But the patent makes it seem more like its a new 911 system, simply built by Microsoft. If its a new system that works better, then in this case I will side with Microsoft and say good for them, the 911 system is innefficient in some places. On the other hand, if they can access private data...to hell with them. "They that give up liberty for security deserve neither" - Benjamin Franklin
So put that in your pipe and grep it
Of the 13 supporting images published by the USPTO, not one shows a very emotional user
Did anyone else laugh when they saw this?
Windows isn't the answer... it's the question. NO is the answer!
Is that guide location aware aswell?
I don't need to know that 911 is emergency number in USA if I need to call 112 for ambulance in rest of the world.
There are no atheists when recovering from tape backup.
If this isn't a clear call to overhaul the patent system, I have no idea what is. In a way it should be amusing to see what happens with this..if say another firm tries to give support or build a system for a municipality that's looking to upgrade their response systems and Microsoft sues them.
I think, in that case, it would crack the whole controversy wide open. Think about the field day the media would have the first time a county commissioner or a mayor gets on the national news and says that they have to spend ridiculous amounts of money, or forego upgrading at all because some private firm isn't allowing them to without first paying them extortion money.
And don't even start about if those systems were to fail at a critical time such as during a disaster. The fallout would be hugely destructive to MS.
Microsoft would be foolish to try to enforce this...but a certain part of me wants them to deny reason and try, if for nothing else but the huge media circus that would ensue.
...please break glass by slamming with forehead. Repeat as necessary (or desirable).
Seriously, all manner of emergency buttons, virtual or otherwise, already exist. What is the patent-worthy innovation here?
If construction was anything like programming, an incorrectly fitted lock would bring down the entire building...
I for one will welcome spending 5 minutes rebooting to windows just to call the emergancy services -.-
I guess this also calls for the obligatory "All your ambulance are belong to MS" too <.<;;
Don't take the above poster too seriously. He doesn't.
Person:What!? My Aunt Betsy is bleeding all over the place!!! Please help her!
911 Operator:I'm sorry, the trial version does not include panicing. Would you like to upgrade to 911 Profesional Edition?
Person:This is insane! If this is Canid Camera I don't have time for this. My Aunt is Dying. There is bloo...
911 Operator:I'm sorry your 93 second trial period has expired please tell me your 83 character activation code. We will then send someone to your house to make sure that you are only having one emergency as agreed upon in the EULA.
The patent is only as powerful as the government's enforcement. If a patent impedes national security, the government (US) can do whatever it wants with the patent. I wouldn't mind seeing this get yanked from MS by some politician.
Is anyone else sick of this kind of patent:
Connect easy to get api exposed information from system A
to easy to pass information to web service b
WITH AN AMAZING ON SCREEN BUTTON! ONE CLICK!
and it's somehow novel and patentable? Come on. It's an obvious use of a general purpose computing system that is designed exclusively to move data around at the click of an on screen button.
-- $G
Absurdity aside, what isn't patentable now? I'm getting more and more convinced that the limits on patentability are quickly dwindling to nothing. I'm not sure if it's the patent clerks trying to ensure job security or a misguided vision that the USPTO's job is to approve patents and that the courts should settle disagreements. Whichever it is, or both, needs to be addressed ASAP.
I see from the diagrams from TFA, that one of the predefined emergancies is financial.
Now I agree that there are financial emergancies, but most do not require a first responder.
Unless maybe the program is sponsored by CapitalOne.
"We need a loan officer here STAT!"
The mind boggles.
On the whole, I find that I prefer Slashdot posts to twitter ones because I don't get limited to 140 chars before
How precisely does a 20-year monopoly on ways of accessing emergency information benefit society at large? If it doesn't, it never ought to have been granted.
"Hey there, partner...it looks like you're trying to call 911!"
Does your emergency involve:
A car accident
Chest pains
A guy with an axe
None of these - search Microsoft
____
~ |rip/\/\aster /\/\onkey
[ ] Auto
[x] Financial
[ ] Telephone
[ ] Other
Help! Microsoft's trying to steal my money again! What should I do???
From the actual patent, numbered 6882706:
What is claimed is:
1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:
maintaining a plurality of records in an emergency data store, each record comprising emergency data and having type of emergency information associated therewith that classifies the record as corresponding to at least one type of emergency;
providing an emergency page, the emergency page including a plurality of emergency type links, each emergency type link corresponding to a particular type of emergency;
receiving an indication that an emergency type link was actuated, and in response,
accessing the emergency data store to locate at least two records that are each associated with the type of emergency that corresponds to the actuated link;
aggregating the data from each located record into aggregated emergency data; and
providing an emergency sub-page based on the aggregated emergency data.
The abstract is even more vague. So, I don't see any invention here, nor any innovation. It sounds like a database with a simple user interface. I'm working on such a system right now. Am I violating Miscrosoft's patent? Sure, my system deals with proletariat efficiencies, but it's basically the same idea.
I don't see how a patent can be granted for this. Emergency services have been doing this for years, just on paper and with log books. Sure, it's good to have needed information in one convenient place, with a simple interface, but I fail to see any innovation or invention. How can one patent something that is simply logic? Can logic really be patented? I know it has been, but that doesn't mean it's not asinine. Maybe I read the patent wrong, but I just see this as simple logic.
BDR Gear
Outdoor gear, MREs, and more!
Micro$oft emergency services: We're sorry. Our records show that you do not own any micro$oft products. Yer gonna die.
Have a nice day.
Thanks to Microsoft for patenting this very much needed technology and thus protecting it from exploitation. Clearly, Microsoft has held the patent for a long time and has not attempted to gain financially from it, allowing the public to benefit fully from the innovation without worrying about someone coming along and attempting to make a profit from it. In the wake of 9/11, Microsoft used its significant legal muscle to protect the public from those who might wish to profit from other peoples' misfortune.
Amazing magic tricks
So they get a patent for something which is widely used in different places. It it called context based information. Systems designed for a special context with a flat logical hierarchy and reduced to the needs of the user are widely used. For instance a good ticket-machine, which knows exactly were it is and also knows varriuos prefered locations, which are displayed first.
There are also other examples e.g. robots in surgery or in smart factories.
But I am not surprised, because the US Patent Office granted ridiculous patents in the last serveral years. Well the EU Patent Office is doing the same shit (sorry).
Come on, do you think that, in the post-9/11 world, only fear-mongering politicians should be able to capitalize on the dangers of the post-9/11 world?
It would have been nice, I mean, really really nice, if Microsoft could have left this up to be one of those patent-free things. You know, so that anybody could set up systems to secure themselves with any proper measure, without the idea of having to deal with the behemoth for permission or pay a MS tax to do it.
Instead, we get to see another example of people who were thinking "Cha-ching!" when the planes hit the towers.
(as an aside, the meme needs two mentions of "post-9/11 world" btw)
Offtopic I know (and not intended as a flame), but this must be the 20th time I've seen "ridiculous" spelt this way today on Slashdot (each by different posters). Where is everyone getting this spelling from?
Yes, I know the rule about any post complaining about another posters spelling and/or grammar will contain at least one error :D
No offence intended.
I would be very concerned about the potential abuse of this type of technology. Imagine the following scenarios:
1. Immature person tries out the emergency call just to see what happens or if it really works.
2. Creative but malicious person writes virus that triggers this technology.
3. Someone triggers the emergency call in one place, using this as a distraction away from where a real emergency (burglary, for example) is taking place.
4. Creative but malicious person writes program that blocks this technology.
These are just a few random things that come to mind. Numbers 1 and 3 can be done today using a regular phone, but numbers 2 and 4 are what concern me--the idea that someone could potentially make it look like you or I were "prank-calliing" the police or fire station, or interfere with a real-life emergency.
This is all hypothetical, of course.
Anakin Simpson: If you're not with me, then you're my enemy--ooh, donuts!
Operator: 911...What is your emergency?
Caller: My wife is having a heart attack! Please send someone!!
Operator: It seems you are using 911 for the first time. Would you like some help?
Caller: YES!! Send someone NOW!!
Operator: In order to complete this call, you will have to restart your phone. Please hang up and call again.
Caller: WHAT??!!
Operator: Your phone is now restarting...(click!)
GET FREE APPLE STUFF!
Although it's funny -- and ironic and sarcastic -- this post sadly deserves something more than "funny".
20 minutes... 25 minutes... 23 minutes... 14 minutes... 2 minutes... 40 minutes...
Really! Armstrong could have been made a millionare by patenting "Walking on the Moon". And Suing Buzz Aldwin.
Everyone in the queue for "Walking on Mars" Patents. And they are discovering new planets every {day|week|month}. Get yours today!!!!
Maybe I should make a template patent and sell that!! All that's left is to say -
3. Profit!
thats ok heres the real number: 912 (simpsons, 2F09)
Comment removed based on user account deletion
"Loading MicroSucks 911 XP-TypeR Server...." 45 minutes later "KERNAL DUMP......"
User
"Rebooting...," --- :> "Are you Sure...," "Are you REALLY sure...,"
"I don't think you want to reboot, I'll ring for a Pizza......"
UserM$ PaperClip
LOADING MICROSUCK 9-1-1 Server XP SP2 TypeR+ OSX.......
> "You did not shutdown properly..., Running ScanDisk ETA on finish 53458934975973457349587435894735894735843 Hours 59 min 59 sec's
There is only one set of independent claims. Usually that means that there were other sets ruled unpatentable by the PTO, which may later find their way (in a more limited form) to a continuation patent.
Mike Borella http://www.borella.net/mike
One of the more well-known was the one that VoIP filed, meant to stabilize the usability of internet phones for emergency calls by rerouting VoIP calls to emergency numbers through the conventional phone system.
Microsoft's patent isn't quite like VoIPs but my point is that if this was, say, a patent being filed by Google, a number of you who decry this move would be celebrating their the foresight and genius.
"I have never won a debate with an ignorant person." -Ali ibn Abi Talib
From the screenshot, that's exactly what it is. My first thought was; this is the 911 emergency version of Clippy.
Imagine Clippy popping up when your mother's leg has been torn off in a car wreck. There are some places that Microsoft shouldn't go on any day.
The nature of accessible information does not warrant a patent. Other than content, there is no difference between this MS crapola and any porn site.
Horny. Need nekkid babes.
vs
Tank truck tipped over. Mollasses covers the highway. Where to find cornbread!
Microsoft patents 911
/. is becoming El Reg's mirror, or what? and no, Microsoft is in no way patenting 911, 999. It does not have anything to do with telephone numbers...
Please, at least change the alarmist title... come on
Ubuntu is an African word meaning 'I can't configure Debian'
Emergency has caused an error and will now be shut down.
Fatal Exception Error: A fatal exception 0A has occurred at 02EF:47EA871B Would you like to debug Emergency?
[Ok]
A simple thought, is this really a humanitarian attempt of Microsoft's part, or is this a plan for them to acquire access to national information containing information on individuals including their addresses, phone numbers and various other information that is in the E911 databases. Personally, I do not want to have an emergency and get an operator who politely informs me during my hysteria that it will be a few moments while her computer reboots as she has just been presented with a 'Blue Screen of Death'. It's not like there are already problems with the E911 system in some areas where people still get a please hold message because there are not enough operators. I am not sure but I think in some places there has been an automated system put in place to pre-parse calls based on touch tone input that can expedite more serious emergencies.
Be sure to read on to subsection 2 of the above provision - but the U.S. don't even have any safeguard like this (anymore), and those who do seem increasingly inclined to wiggle their way around it...
with the MS activation number printed on the phone box when you bought it
don't change your phone hardware or you will have to call india and get permission to use your property first
If a patent impedes national security, the government (US) can do whatever it wants with the patent.
Even under the takings clause of the Fifth Amendment? "...nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation." Here, what would Microsoft's legal department, which succeeded in getting its penalty in the U.S. antitrust case reduced to a slap on the wrist, be able to talk a judge into considering as "just compensation"?
You could say the same thing about curing cancer, but see how far that gets you with the pharm industry. Fact is that it isn't cheaper to solve important problems than it is mundane ones - usually the reverse. If you expect a solution, and the government can't do it alone, the private sector needs to get involved. That means someone needs to make money off of it.
Not even doctors work for free.
Comment removed based on user account deletion
My cat's stuck up a tree
My brother's bleeding on the ground
He's cut an artery
The dog's just chewed a cable
My neice has cut her head
There's axemen in my garden and
They're burning down the shed
My middle finger's severed
As I dial my bloodied phone
Tap nine-one-one on keypad
But all I get's ring tone
While Billy makes his billions
My house is getting fired
I should have paid the monthly fee
Before my code expired
Gentoo Linux - another day, another USE flag.
Not having to send in a working model, is there anything to stop someone coming up with a new, plausible idea, write out an application, and get patents for stuff that really hasn't been invented yet, wait for someone to *actually* invent it, and bilk the guy for money?
Enough of the "first time you used 911/Blue Screen of Literal Death" jokes!
If a Linux co. had patented this idea, I suppose the joke would be that by the time you've found the right RPM, installed it, found the dependencies, installed them all, read the man page, re-read the man page, read the README, read the man page for a third time, searched Google and found the one bit of info you needed, made the symlinks and started the program, your house would be but a pile of ash or you'd have an axe in your head. But I never seem to catch that joke...
I think I'll patent the idea of holding a caluclator in one hand, TP in the other hand, and whistling "Dixie" while taking a crap. Send all royalties to ...
If MS had not patented it and tried to provide it some other company like Eolas would patent it and then sue MS. The patent system is so screwed up that companies have to patent even stupid things like this to avoid being sued.
Needless to say, this is yet another patent that does not cover an invention (which is supposed to be the point of patents), but (arguably) a discovery--although it is more like common knowledge than something only Microsoft have discovered.
Once again like most U.S. patents:
The reason why patents were invented was to stop people keeping the workings of their inventions trade secrets which would never be released to the public (whereas--the then new-fangled--patents actually run out) thereby impeding the "progress of the science and the arts", therefore patents are only supposed to cover something that a company might be able to keep a secret. In this case, the idea (which is what they are trying to patent; as opposed to the specific invention that Microsoft has or has not yet--as the case may be--produced) would not be coverable by a trade secret as once they produced such a product it would be common knowledge (and thefore no longer a secret) that such a product could be produced. Whereas, if Microsoft were patenting the specific workings of their invention, these would be harder for someone with one of their products to hand to work out--thereby potentially patentable as they are potentionally able to be kept secret (while Microsoft sell the product).
Making a (possibly poor) analogy with the field of consumer law, this is a bit like Microsoft trying to trademark the generic term for the class of their product as opposed to a name for a particular brand (e.g.: hypothetically, if Microsoft were in the automobile maunfacturing industry, trademarking the word, "car"; or, again hypothetically, if Microsoft were in the operating-system engineering industry trademarking the word "windows" for a windows system...o, nevermind...).
The patent is entitled "a method and system of providing emergency data"; however reading it one realises that (in common with most patents using those magic `method' and `system' words in their titles) it is not actually a patent on "a [particular] method and system of providing emergency data" but actually a patent that stops anyone else from producing any "method and system of providing emergency data".
This is backed up by the way that, throughout the patent, it says that "this invention [sic.] covers [foo], [bar] and [baz]" or similar language (where foo, bar and baz are sorts of inventions that might be made in the future by others) instead of describing the actual invention that Microsoft have produced (or, I suspect, have not actually produced) so that others can gain from this knowledge after the patent expires.
There are many other ways in which this, once again, goes against the basic principles of the patent system. However, as I suspect (hopefully) everyone will laugh at any (unlikely) attempts by Microsoft to enforce this patent, I will not spend more time analysing this drivel (that Microsoft and other large corporations produced by the dead-tree load on a daily basis).
Joe Llywelyn Griffith Blakesley
[This post is in the public domain (copyright-free) unless otherwise stated]
... when you watch too much Fox News?
The REAL jabber has the user id: 13196
What you do today will cost you a day of your life
I believe this is a reference to 9-1-1, as in the emergency telephone number, not 9/11, as in the date. Separate issues.
JoloK
... I mean, this is really stupid.
...um, what would be a stupid thing to patent... yes, WATER?
Here, in the sane world (Europe), I haven't heard of such a lame patents being provided. Yes, there are Euro-directives that had a farm shut down because the ceiling was 2 cm too high and carrots are officially fruit, but COME ON...
Can I go to patent office to take a patent on
"Hi, I'd like to patent H20, I just made it only using a match and some methane. It's really never been done before because I lit methane holding the burning match horizontally and had ice cream in teh other hand."
Of course I can't do that. I'm not Microsoft.
In Soviet USA, anything is possible if you have a few billion $ to spare on your bank account(s).
The article is utterly without merit.
That's okay. So is the patent.
Microsoft is to software what Budweiser is to beer.
Hey, someone should make a joke about how when you now call 911, some aspect about how Microsoft conducts its business leads to a witty, ironic, or unacceptable outcome. That would be hilarious!
That little picture is just about useless as a tool to make emergency communications easier.
I was a 911 dispatcher in L.A. (including during the riots) and I can tell you that in an emergency the average person sometimes forgets basic information such as: their address, vehicle type, child's name, etc.
If such a tool could ever be made to work it would need as few buttons as possible, as large as possible, with as few words as possible.
Maybe if you hit the good sized emergency button you immediately get two big buttons that almost fill the screen.
(POLICE)
(FIRE/AMBULANCE)
In a decent dispatch environment if someone hits the wrong one they can quickly be routed to the right one.
Anything else is basically not an emergency and doesn't belong on the tool.
"Apparently the patent was filed one month after 9/11"
Shouldn't that make this Microsoft's 1011 Patent?
Support the FairTax
it still took them a month after 9/11 to steal that from elsewhere.
millions of citizens are scared to hell, the towers fall, and Microsoft is thinking about making money.
Way to go, Billy!
I can't figure out what they patented. Is it the concept of querying a database and displaying the results in a form? That's what the text sounds like. Or is it Apple's dream keyboard (the one you have to click with the mouse in order to type)?
Either way it sounds much more cumbersome, error-prone, and generally distressing than "seize a telephone; press 9, 1, 1; tell the dispatcher what your problem is."
In an emergency, I don't want a user interface of ANY kind. Just send a fucking pig with a gun, and send him now!
No, Thank You.
Please do not install this is my schools, in public places, or government offices.
Please do not install this in my place of work. Please do not install this in my residence, or any of my relatives/friends residences.
If there is someone out there dumb enough to use a Microsoft designed system for their emergency response, go ahead. The day my town starts pushing the Microsoft Emergency Response system is the day I move for the hills.
Statistics be damned. Test results be damned. I don't care if they prove that this system is perfect. I do NOT trust them enough to run my emergency services (or even be involved at all), and YES, it is purely a corporate trust issue.
There is good reason Microsoft is not involved in the design of mission critical life support medical systems.
Similarly, we saw how the Microsoft "next generation" naval warship (in conjunction with the U.S. navy) worked out (if you don't know, go check google).
There is good reason Microsoft should NOT be involved in the design of mission critical emergency systems.
WhiteWolf666 an exBush supporter. All you new-school,compassionate,save the children Republicans can rot in hell
That should be poster's :-)
Using HTML in email is like putting sound effects on your phone calls. Just say <strong>no</strong>.
Microsoft still hasn't patented the idea for toilet paper rolls. Rolls of TP are way better than the old way where the toilet paper was just in a pile on the floor. They might also look into patenting the primary use of TP which would give them some more territory for 'digital rights management.'
"Microsoft Windows crashed and caused me to get in an accident."
Kyle
Microsoft Quick Response 911 System
1) Open Emergency Explorer
2) Read the license agreement and select "I Agree"
3) Double-click on My Hemorrhage
4) Right-click on the diagram of the bleeding body and select your level of discomfort:
a) OK
b) not OK
c) start
5) click Submit
6) indicate that you are aware that information you submit over the Internet may be insecure and visible to third parties
7) using GPS, a list of emergency numbers in your area will be displayed.
a) 911
use your cell phone to call this number for emergency service.
Features not commonly used will be hidden - simply click the double caret (yes, it's a button) to briefly view your other options.
In the event of a system crash, the Microsoft crash reporter will open and ask you a few simple questions. The answers to these questions will be submitted to Microsoft and used to improve your emergency experiences in the future.
It is pitch black. You are likely to be eaten by a grue.
The patent does not actually focus so much on the user interface, which seems to have the most comments, but rather on the idea that some "data" can be "tagged" in some manner as "emergency data", and pooled, presented, and then sent when a "emergency event" is invoked.
My favorate quote from the patent While the invention is susceptible to various modifications and alternative constructions, certain illustrated embodiments thereof are shown in the drawings and have been described above in detail. It should be understood, however, that there is no intention to limit the invention to the specific forms disclosed, but on the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, alternative constructions, and equivalents falling within the spirit and scope of the invention.
Since the "emergency data" seems to reside on the device, it is arguably different than "911" services, which use a seperate external (carrier hosted) database. But that suggests all kinds of dangerous and interesting possibilities for mischief and misuse.
While I generally believe software and business method patenting are morally indefensible, this particular patent I find particularly offensive. Imagine, in a similar vein, a patent on a "method of collecting volunteers to to be on alert for fire alarms, and distributing them with appropriate equipment to the site of a fire".
Public services, especially those that can be mandated, and must be universal by their very nature, should never be subject to patents or other such restrictions, and if they ever accidently are, then it is the primary responsibility of government to directly intervene, either through emminent domain, or perhaps through an action such as "misuse of patent", which really should become a new class of federal crime. There is already some existing federal case law related to "misuse of copyright" which involves forfiture of copyrights.
Maybe it is time for another tatoo...
That would be a 1011 patent, then.
(Cue the "Team America" quotes.)
On a computing device which does all its calculations using only ones and zeros. If Microsoft can get their patent, why can't I get mine ?
Insightful? How is the parent blather insightful? Obviously, no one will die because 911 systems are not run on Linux or OS X (should that become a reality, although I don't really think OS X plays much of a role in the world of 911), because obviously, everyone involved with 911 will be using M$ over Intel. Sure, this isn't the way it should be, but obviously if you run a 911 system and your software is made by M$, you will not be running it on Linux or OSX. Talk about meaningless blather, the parent should be modded "overrated".
"Who are in control, they are not in control of anything - they don't even control themselves!" - Glen Beck
Of course we're bitching "because it's Microsoft": Microsoft have already shown us that they are more than willing to extract exhorbitant profits from the public from anything that they have a monopoly over, and more than willing to break the law to prevent anyone from encroaching on that. Companies like Google haven't and don't. (Yet? Maybe, but let's wait until that actually happens before we start bitching about them --- in the meantime, it obviously makes more sense to "bitch" about a current abusive monopoly that really is a problem, not some 'vaporware' hypothetical future problem.)
Anyway, Google DIDN'T file this patent. Microsoft DID. That by itself says a whole lot about the respective characters of these companies. So what's your point again? In the immediate aftermath of 9/11, MS execs were already thinking "how can we profit from this"? Google execs weren't.
For reference, here is what is actually covered by the patent [which is incredibly broad]:
1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:
maintaining a plurality of records in an emergency data store, each record comprising emergency data and having type of emergency information associated therewith that classifies the record as corresponding to at least one type of emergency;
providing an emergency page, the emergency page including a plurality of emergency type links, each emergency type link corresponding to a particular type of emergency;
receiving an indication that an emergency type link was actuated, and in response,
accessing the emergency data store to locate at least two records that are each associated with the type of emergency that corresponds to the actuated link;
aggregating the data from each located record into aggregated emergency data; and
providing an emergency sub-page based on the aggregated emergency data.
Comment removed based on user account deletion
You:
"911, my house is on fire. Why won't this button work, I hit it 10 times already"
PC:
A fatal exception 0E has occured in module:911. Longhorn has taken a minidump on Your.Life
Press any key to continue
There is a company out there that already does this! Or alteast something similiar to 911, emergency data collection
www.med-media.com
Its really innovative. Its all about first aid data collection...from PDA to desktop app to server data collection.
This system is mainly in use at Fire stations, police stations, hospitals, and EMT (ambulance) shops. Its not really intended for home users, but this is something that cuts down on paper work 10 fold for the guys that are working to save our lives. The less time they are spending doing paper work, the more time they can spend saving lives.
*note: I do not have a current affiliation with this company, but do believe in what they are doing.
Don't we remember when Thailand's finance minister BMW computer failure with Microsoft WinCE?
MUD @Nexlinks
basically you're saying that it's hypocritical to complain about a company that is evil already, right now, _today_, on the basis that other companies like Google 'could do evil stuff' and "might also become evil, one day, far in the future, maybe" --- but DIDNT? wtf?
Another example of how Evil Microsoft is?
*yawn*
Next...
perhaps its a British / American thing over here in the UK we spell it as "Ridiculous" which is the correct spelling for the UK perhaps it's different for America (similar to color and colour)
"The present invention provides a method and system for maintaining emergency data in a manner that provides straightforward user access thereto via a displayed emergency page (or set of pages) or other suitable user interface,"
that really narrows it down - I'm glad it wasn't generic or anything.
This just shows how wrong software patents are.
Why do editors insist on using the 9/11 'card'? In other words, why did they HAVE to include "Apparently, the patent application was filed one month after 9/11". WHOOP DE FUCKING DO! Others have profited from 9/11 - mainly public companies who embrace anti-terrorism. Are you Republican or Democrat?! IDIOT!
I'm British and even I know it's not xD
No, the correct US version is 'ridiculous'. However, many USians pronounce it 'reediculus'.
So lets say Microsoft are successful in implementing a fantastic new system that makes using 911 from any computer trivial and much faster than using the phone. Would they let non-IE users in? If I run Mozilla, will I be locked out? What if I dare to install and use a (gasp) non-Microsoft operating system on my device?
I also have to protest, I think the author needs to edit the comment above, it is unnecessary and very offensive to have that comment there. I do not think that it is appropriate.
Please remove the comment about 9/11, it is very inconsiderate to the thoushands of people that lost their lifes, I do understand for the life of me how someone can possible use that as a sarcastic remark!
"If I was smarter I could rule the world!"
Tsk, I'm going to have to sue them for spreading FUD without a license under my patent.
.
-- Tigger warning: This post may contain tiggers! --
Hi! It looks like you're trying to access Emergency Services TM!
Would you like me to spellcheck your request?
$#%^&*
Did you mean $#%@%^&* instead?
*****$$!!!@#$%^%
I'm sorry but that's not grammatically correct and physically impossible. Would you like to invoke the grammar checker on your request?
[series of RETURN presses as user dies]
It seems you've developed a stutter, would you like me to access a language program to assist you?
[user croaks]
Thank you for using Microsoft 9-1-1!
[logged as successful user interaction, since no negative report was filed within one hour of use]
-- Tigger warning: This post may contain tiggers! --
Well, Microsoft originally said back in 2002 that security hadn't been at the forefront of its business model because nobody was willing to pay for it .
Obviously Microsoft thinks that everybody should pay for security in general, not just computer security, and that it's one great sea to fish in.
Linux/Open Source/Anti Microsoft News
I complain about people's spelling of "ridiculous" and then go right ahead and mix up the indefinite and personal pronoun apostrophe rules! Doh!
... remove the airbags, pour in about a pound of roofing nails, and refit them.
There is something very very wrong with that at an ethical level and at a legal level.
This isn't just stupid, this is dangerous. Allowing something as potentially life saving as this to only come from one source, who hasn't even demonstrated that they're interested in creating the product described in the patent. That's just INSANE
Mod me troll, flame-bait, or stupid if you want, but...
Those f*ing c*sucking bastards.
Please stop stalking me, bro.
Don't run for the hills, run for the voting machine.
Get people together and stop it.
If you run to the hills, eventually suburbia will catch up, and they will bring the MS ES with them. By that time it will be entrentched.
The Kruger Dunning explains most post on
Comment removed based on user account deletion
Do you mean 'ridiKUlus' as opposed to 'ridiKJUlus'? I can't imagine that's a very large difference.
True confidence comes not from realising you are as good as your peers, but that your peers are as bad as you are.
The examples you gave were of corporations supplying goods, not controlling them. My feeling is that no government should allow itself to get into a position where (for example) MS has control over a part of (for example) their emergency infrastructure. That's what this is about.
For the love of God, please learn to spell "ridiculous"!!!
Where is everyone getting this spelling from?
;)
Well, if you want to diculous again, you pretty much have to call it rediculous.
I watched C-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhauser gate.
OK, let's get all International Phonetic Alphabet on this:
/I/ is like the 'ee' in 'pee' and /i/ is like the 'i' in bit.
Since I have no schwa on my keyboard, I'll use 'x' instead:
Generally accepted pronunciation: [rxdik'julxs]
'reediculus' which causes spelling errors: [rIdi'kjulxs]
At least, I think
Just like if you put "One-" before "click" and apply it to "purchasing".
Oh, and throw "computer" and/or "on-line" in there and you're set.
Budget waste is paying for goods and services that are not needed for the task at hand. I wish the stupid reactionary antiprogressives would stop pointing to unions and organized labor as evil. When your job gets shipped to India, I hope you get a nice feeling in the pit of your stomach.
Would the name be the any key ?
the Windows troubleshooting system:
Dispatcher: 911, what's your emergency?
Caller: My one year old fell down a well...help!!!
Dispatcher: Please hold...does your child appear to be concsious?
Caller: I think so...yeah she is.
Dispatcher: Please hold...how deep is the well?
Caller: I don't know...maybe 30 feet.
Dispatcher: Please hold...do you see water down there?
Caller: Yeah, but her head is above the water.
Dispatcher: Please hold...how long has your child been down there?
Caller: About 30 minutes. Please hurry!!!
Dispatcher: I'm sorry, you have encountered a problem with which we cannot help you. Have a nice day.
What would be the point of setting up a central and easily overloaded system (one point of failure) to disseminate information? The Emergency Broadcast System already has the cabability to cover the entire country in a distributed manner via television and radio. In the event of a major disaster, phones and TVs will likely not work, but battery operated AM/FM radios are in abundance. While this does not offer the user an interface, what would be the need for one in the first place? One is simply distributing the information required for survival. The ability to listen to portions of the recording instead of the entire loop seems superfluous to me.
The public needs to be safe, that is why I am going to patent the method to be safe.
I say we start at the top and work down.
Support congressional term limits of two 4-year periods.
Water treatment, radar systems, internet backbone companies... we can, if we so wish, tell these people to take a hike. It may not be cheap or practical, but they have no hold over us but expediency.
With patents, however, there's no way to say "sorry, mate, we don't want your crappy products so we're going next door". At least not if next door hasn't been allowed to license the patent-encapsulated pearls of genius, such as this trivial extension of the existing 911 system.
The difference is, suppliers can be escaped if you throw enough money at the problem. Controllers can't be escaped without fleeing the country, which would be rather counterproductive for a government.
Legislating against silly buggers is a fair idea, but as far as I know said legislation has yet to be drafted. And, given that the patent under discussion seems to qualify as silly buggers within existing legislation (doesn't pass the obviousness test), I can't imagine that more red tape would do much.
For the love of God, please learn to spell "ridiculous"!!!
Oh, so let me get this straight, Msoft got a patent on a specific form of terrorism? Flying into a building?
Oh, no. It is economic terrorism.
The only interface you can figure out how to use when under the duress of an emergency is one you already know how to use. That's why there exist such things as repeated safety training and fire drills.
"method of destroying large buildings"....
---- Booth was a patriot ----
Nothing like profiteering on life's little miseries:
ring..
Hello 911 please this is an emergency!
Please enter your 64 digit product registration code.
Some one is in my house, please send police assistance.
You must read and acknowledge the EULA in order to use this product.
HELP!!!
you must reboot your system before these changes can take effect.
Bam Bam!
Windows has detected additional packages that must be installed, downloading.....
Gurgle
you must reboot your system before these changes can take effect.
It can be done: Assistance Dog Tasks, Service Animal Calls 911 and Saves Handler
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My site which I've been working on for 2 months appears subject to the Patent because I'm recording emergency 911 events into an online database and providing results with a simplistic query form. Incidentlog.com http://www.incidentlog.com It seems ludicrous to me that Microsoft has been granted a patent which appears to be nothing more than a database system with electronic messaging triggers. Does this mean that paging notification nets used by media and scanner buffs also now belong to Microsoft? -Scott Brodsky
What's worse is "waist" (http://www.answers.com/waist). It is a word but I think people mean "waste" (http://www.answers.com/waste) since they use it as a verb and refer to money...
The way many large corporations have abused the Patent office, I was thinking of the phrase 'kick a dead horse'. That didn't really embody the way in which our friendly monopolies suck the very life and creativity out of any possible competition (or competent solution that benefits humankind).
That phrase didn't seem fitting, so I thought of a phrase more deserving:
"it's like pimping a dead whore" -teknickle
People need to realize that the government has the ability to use any patent for its own use or license a private organization's use.
Read the law.
"Federal law - 28 U.S.C. 1498 - allows the United States to purchase products like ciprofloxacin for official use from manufacturers other than the patent holder."
IANAL
Just one of many stories at the following link:
a sp ?parItem=S031000328A
http://www.berkshirepublishing.com/ans/HTMView.
Apparently, crashing M$ windows emergency computer systems are nothing new...
(I sure hope somebody mods this up)
F.R.I.E.N.D: (First Responder Interactive Emergency Navigational Database)
I had the opportunity to work on this during my undergrad years at CMU. What Microsoft has patented is just a part of this project. The only difference is that Microsoft wants to deploy this to average consumers, while FRIEND was targetted for emergency personnel. Oh, and this was all back in 1994, and yes, we did have a (mostly) working prototype.
Microsoft had that commercial for XP with Lunatic Fringe by Red Rider playing while a guy zoomed around on a desk. They pulled it right after 9/11. I guess they clued in that a song about terrorists as a theme for your O/S wasn't going to do much for sales.
Why, of all people - uh, massive, evil corporate entities - do I want *Microsoft* to save me? Think of all the virus protection I'd need.
Bill Gates has a reputation built on ""cashing in" on the pain and suffering of others. He and his company MicroSoft cause most of the pain and suffering of others. So not surprising that he wants to cash in on 9/11. This is a typical Gates / MicroSoft strategy and operatation. That is why he is a billion aire all the readers on this forum are poor sucker buying Windows. He knows where the money is and you guys don't. So there is no need to be surprised. If you want to know more about Mr. Gates and his greed, then read Time or Fortune Magazine or take a look at the Linux forums. They are full of this type of info.
Where is everyone getting this spelling from?
Ask Mr Pinchot.
No, he used posters in the plural sense, not the possessive sense. It was correct the way he had it.
He did (I suspect intentionally) misspell offense.
Open Source for Open Minds